Metal Gear Solid 3: The Patriots
by Gibboelli
Summary: Snake and Raiden return to destroy the Patriots once and for all.


Metal Gear Solid 3: The Patriots This is my own work that I made up off the top of my head. Sorry if any of the details are incorrect!  
  
A lone figure surfaced in the middle of the water, dark brown hair plastered to his face. He trod the mucky brown water and surveyed the surroundings. There wasn't much to see, only a few aluminium cases scattered around randomly. Obviously just placed down in remains of a mineshaft for storage. The man looked back the way he had come. There was a huge wall of rock that had been worn into over the years by the water that filled it. The man covered his ear with a gloved hand and used his codec. "Otacon, I'm in." The crackle of someone else coming onto the codec was heard only in the man's ears. "Nice job Snake." "The place is just an abandoned mine shaft. There doesn't seem to be any guards patrolling." Otacon sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Tell me something I don't know. Your still a couple of meters away from the co-ordinates on the MO Disc." Snake rolled his green eyes at Otacon's comment and started to wade over to the small piece of ground in the far corner of the open area. "Once you get up onto high ground, you'll be able to see the facility. Expect a lot of guards once you get into the basement levels. This is the Patriots hide out, you know." "Hide out? I thought you said they were all dead." Snake muttered. He reached the small ledge and pulled himself out of the water with his strong arms. Once he was out of the water, he reached for his SOCOM that was tucked into his utility belt. He wiped some water off of it and checked to make sure he had fully loaded it. "They ARE dead Snake. But, something is still doing their job." Otacon said, making his exasperation obvious.  
Snake didn't answer immediately. He aimed his SOCOM forward, always cautious in case there was a guard about. He looked around for the entrance to the surface. He found it quickly, without much effort. The entrance wasn't much more than a tunnel hollowed out by time. Snake jogged through it and upwards. He reached the end quickly. Peering over the edge, he noted a large aluminium case nearby and quickly dove for the cover. Snake leant against the metal, not noticing the cold through his sneaking suit. He peered around the edge, noting the large white building placed in the centre of a dip in the land. Snake retrieved his scope from his side and looked around.  
There were a few trucks in front of the building and more of the aluminium cases that Snake had already seen. Two guards were patrolling around the entrance of the building. "What's the cover for this place again?" Snake asked, frowning slightly. "Supposed to be a research plant for Army equipment, hence the army trucks." "Huh, and the guards with M-4's and grenades no doubt." Snake replied sarcastically. Putting his scope back in its place, he stood up. The weather was clear but a sharp wind blew across from behind, making Snakes ragged bandana blow into his face. Snake crept forward, mentally noting the nearest guard's position. He quickly shot his silenced SOCOM with precise aim, hitting the guard in the brain. He chocked out a small groan before falling to the floor, dead. Snake checked over the mans equipment, finding a couple of magazines. He picked up the dead guards M-4 that had fallen to his side. It was fully loaded. Snake replaced his SOCOM back into its holster and held the M-4 in his arms. The other guard was slumped against the front doors, looking bored out of his brains. Snake knelt, looking for a good way to take him out. Snake picked up a small stone and threw it at the door. It hit with a loud clang, making the guard jump to attention, his gun tight in his arms. Snake dashed to the other side of the small courtyard and flattened himself against the wall. "Who's there?" The guard yelled with his thick American accent.  
Snake waited until the guard was walking back to his position when he quickly got him into a chokehold. The guard struggled, but he was no match for Snakes strength. A sickening crack indicated the guard was dead. Snake dropped the limp body and looked up at the building before him. "Otacon, what's the best way to get in?" "Maps say that the front door is the only way, but the MO Disc says different. There are some airshafts that run through into the first floor of the place. There should be one just to your right."  
Snake looked to his right to see the shaft. The grate was still over it but Snake didn't worry. He walked over towards it and yanked the grate off its rusty bolts. It came away from the wall easily. Snake dropped it to the trampled grass beneath his feet and pulled himself up into the shaft. "Nothing I love more than crawling through air shafts." He complained as he made his way steadily on his elbows. "I know, but it can't be helped." Otacon said. "How's Raiden doing?" Snake asked. "He's in. Why not talk to him yourself?"  
Snake pressed forward for a little longer until he stopped to adjust the frequency on his codec. He pressed enter and Raiden's voice came over the airway. "Raiden here." "Hey kid, how you doing?" "Snake! I'm all right. Had to take out a few guards but I'm on the other side of the complex still. I used a guards card key to get in."  
Snake grunted slightly in amusement. "Lucky you. I'm crawling through an air duct."  
Raiden's soft smirk was heard over the airway. "So, where are you inside?" Snake asked. "On the ground floor. There aren't many guards around here. Are you sure this is right? I mean, if this is the Patriots base, shouldn't it be heavily guarded?"  
Another crackling was heard as another person entered into the conversation. "Raiden, this is Manhattan remember. The Patriots will only make it look like a few Army soldiers are based here. Once you get into the basements, the place will be heavily guarded." Otacon, the voice of reason. "That just makes me feel so much better." Raiden said in response. "Whatever, lets just get back to the mission ok?" Snake said in his gruff voice. "Sure, Raiden out."  
Snake ended the transmission on his end. He continued on until he came to a hole in the vent. He looked down to see a silver ladder. Snake guessed this would take him into the first floor of the facility. He turned around in the tiny space and let his feet find the rungs in the ladder. He eased himself down slowly. His foot reached the ground quickly. Snake quietly let himself off the ladder, trying not to make a noise on the floor. He was about to turn round when he felt the butt of a gun rammed into the small of his back. Snake cursed mentally at being discovered already. He held his arms outwards, the M-4 resting on his forearm, and turned slowly. The butt of the gun followed him round and was aimed at his head as he was fully turned. Snake's eyes widened slightly as he saw the person.  
The gun was actually a sniper rifle, held strongly by a woman. She was looking him in the eye. Snake noticed the red hair first as it was her most striking feature. It fell down to her waist, even though it was tied up in a ponytail. Her skin was light coloured which made her brown eyes stand out more. She wore a dark blue sneaking suit similar to Snakes. Snake raised a single eyebrow slightly. The woman then raised her own and smiled slightly.  
Snake took the opportunity to look around at his surroundings. They were on a balcony that led all the way around the room, a few doors led off it. The balcony ended three quarters of the way round and ended with a flight of stairs down to the lower area of the room.  
Snake looked back at the woman who still had the sniper rifle aimed at his head. A group of loud voices made them both look to the side. The voices came from a door that was just being opened. The woman pushed Snake hard in the chest. Surprised, he fell to the floor, the woman on top of him. His M-4 rattled noisily beside him, and, out of instinct, Snake slapped his hand on it to stop the noise. The woman raised herself slightly and smiled at Snake. Snake couldn't help but smile back at the situation. The woman was the same size as him and equally as strong. She wasn't pushing down on him to keep him restrained, just resting on top of him to keep the pair out of sight. Snake would have complained at the uncomfort of having a sniper rifle wedged between them if he didn't need to keep quiet.  
Three guards walked into the lower area of the room, chatting loudly.  
  
"So, you reckon you saw a blonde bloke in here?" One laughed. "I'm telling you, it was a blonde man!" "Probably just you." The third laughed as well, nudging the first.  
Snake rolled his eyes at the fact that Raiden had been spotted already. "Forget it, we've got a job to do, remember?" The second said sulkily, annoyed at being laughed at. He slung his M-4 back over his shoulder and walked through another of the doors.  
The other two watched him go, and then turned to each other. One pushed his hand through his dirty hair. "You heard about the basement doors?" "Yeah. Pointless if you ask me. There's not even anything down there. Why suddenly put a Level 12 card key lock onto it?"  
Snake listened more intently. "I know! I guess the commanders have got some secret project going on under there. Apparently, that scientist McGregor is the only low rank man that can go in there. Dunno why he's so special."  
Snake mentally filed the name and made a note to ask Otacon about him.  
The pair then walked away, out of sight. The click of a door signified their departure from the room. The woman stood and scooped her sniper rifle up with her. She looked at Snake quickly and waved slightly. "Later." She said as she jogged to the nearest door. "Wait!" Snake yelled as he jumped up, preparing to follow her. He was to late. She was already gone.  
Snake picked up his M-4 and looked over the small railing. There was nobody in the room anymore except for himself.  
  
Otacon sat in a small room that served as his headquarters. Computers and other software surrounded him; including information directly off Snake and Raiden's nanomachines to tell if their hearts were beating or not. He could make contact with Snake and Raiden at any time, anywhere. He also would be the first to see if they were dead or not. Otacon knew he was no hero, but he secretly wished he were there with them, not cooped up in the tiny room, surrounded by monitors. A beeping in his ear signified a codec call. Otacon tilted his head slightly and dragged himself over to his computer chair. He poised his fingers above the keys on his keyboard, ready to type at any second. "Otacon here." "Hey, its just me." Snakes voice rang over the airway. "I just met a female soldier. She was wearing a sneaking suit." Snake emphasised the 'sneaking suit' part of his sentence.  
Otacon rubbed his chin absently; thinking about what Snake had informed him of. "Stealing army gear maybe?" Otacon suggested. "No way. She knew what she was doing. She had a sniper rifle with her."  
Otacon raised his eyebrow at the words and thought of sniper wolf. "She can't possibly know about the Patriots or Metal Gear." Otacon tried to reason. "Cant she?" Snake interrupted. "Highly unlikely. Come on Snake. We didn't even know until recently. She might be on some mission to steal some equipment. Remember, this place does actually stock and supply new equipment for several organisations."  
There was silence from Snakes end of the transmission. Otacon sighed and rubbed his eye. "I overheard two guards talking about the entrance to the basement. Apparently, there's a level 12 lock on the door.."  
Otacon started typing as Snake spoke. One of Otacon's many screens projected the names of holders of a level 12 cardkey. "..They also mentioned some scientist named McGregor having access."  
Otacon selected McGregor from the list and started to scan the information stored about the mystery man. Images reflected on Otacon's glasses as he scrolled down the list. "He's a scientist and researches into making equipment more lightweight and versatile. His lab is located on the ground floor. He is the only scientist to have a card key. All the other holders are commanders." "How could he have anything to do with the Patriots?" Snake mused, sounding like he had more spoken to himself. "Who knows? Why is anyone of interest to the Patriots?"  
Snake paused before returning to the conversation. "Never mind. Last time I talked to Raiden, he was on the first floor. I'll get him to find the scientist." "Ok Snake. Otacon out."  
  
Raiden rounded a corner of the clinical looking corridor, aiming his SOCOM ahead of him, just in case. The entire level had been poorly guarded. Raiden looked around with his blue eyes, deciding the next door he would go in. His codec beeped in his ear, only heard by him. Raiden answered the call. "Raiden here." "Hey kid, just me again. I've got an errand for you to run." "Good for me." Raiden muttered. "A scientist called McGregor has a lab on your floor. He's the easiest guy to find with a level 12 cardkey." "Right. I find him." "Good guess." Snake said sarcastically.  
Raiden rolled his eyes at Snakes comment. He turned to look at the door nearest to him. "What's a level 12 cardkey for?" Raiden asked. "The only way to get into the basement levels. Call me when you get it." "Right."  
Raiden ended the transmission. He aimed his SOCOM forward again as he entered the room. The room was as clinical looking as the corridor. The most colourful object in the room was a stainless steel table that housed some paper work. Raiden looked around and decided to go back the way he had come. Looking at the doors quickly as he passed, he saw that some had name plaques on them. He stopped as he came across the McGregor door. Raiden slowly passed through the automatic door and stopped in disgust. The entire room was covered in blood. The room looked the same as the last had, but more colourful with the red liquid everywhere. A small heap was in the corner. Raiden aimed his gun at it, but replaced it in his utility belt when he saw the remains of a white lab coat on the body. He guessed that was McGregor. Raiden edged forward and searched the body, a distant hope that the card key was still in the scientist's possession. Raiden swore as the search revealed nothing. He prepared to contact Snake again. "Snake here." "Snake, the scientist is dead. The lab is in a mess." "Damn!" Snake snapped, obviously annoyed. "Don't tell me, no card key?" "'Fraid so. You know, it almost looks like.." "What?" Snake demanded sharply. "It looks like Vamp's work. There's blood everywhere. The guy's throat was slit." Raiden turned his nose up slightly at the mess. "But that's not possible. I shot him in the head." Raiden added quickly, somewhat of an afterthought. "By now kid, you should know anything's possible." Snake's voice silenced Raiden. "It doesn't matter anyway. What matters is that card key. By the way, have you seen a red-haired woman around?"  
Raiden frowned slightly. "No. Why?" "Forget it. Later."  
Snake ended the codec call abruptly. Raiden didn't think much of it as he stepped outside of the room again, looking up and down the corridor. He turned right and continued up, deciding to check out a few of the other laboratories on the level before chasing around after the cardkey.  
As he walked quietly down the corridor, he heard the click of automatic doors shutting. Aiming his SOCOM forward, he walked towards the end of corridor and the right hand turn he saw ahead. As he made his way around the corner, he heard what sounded like shuffling in the wall. Raiden guessed there was a room right next to him. He turned slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible. A small step forward opened the metal doors in front of him. Raiden analysed the room quickly. It looked like a file room with a small computer table in the middle. Shelves were stacked to the brim all around the four walls. The person before him had their back towards him. Raiden quickly made the assumption it was a woman, as the figure had long red hair that fell all the way down her back. A small clip of his earlier conversation with Snake went through Raiden's mind. ..red-haired woman..  
It didn't even cross Raiden's mind that they were different people. The woman appeared to be flicking through computer discs that were stored in a plastic container. Raiden crept forward, heel first to make less noise on the steel floor. When he was a meter away, he raised his gun and aimed it at the back of her head. In a loud voice, he commanded: "Freeze!"  
The woman swung around and a white-hot pain slid just above the top of Raiden's right eye. He fell to the floor in surprise and from the force that the blow was inflicted with. His SOCOM fell out of his hand as his shoulder hit the floor. When Raiden's vision cleared, he felt just above his eye with his fingers. Removing his hand from the wound, he inspected his glove to see a large dark red splodge had spread across the surface of them. He heard a loud clunck in front of him. Observing the source of the noise, Raiden saw a crystal paperweight had been used as a weapon. A pair of boots came into view. Raiden looked at the boots closely as that was the only part of the woman he could see. They were dark blue, with large buckles across the tops of them. They didn't have split toes like his. Raiden moved his blue eyes to see as far as he could, revealing where his SOCOM had fallen to. He went to reach out for it but the boot moved as quickly as he did and trod on his wrist, adding enough pressure to hold him there. Raiden swore, annoyed at his current predicament.  
The butt of a gun was the next thing to come into Raiden's sight. It was aimed at his forehead. "Who are you?" The woman's voice rang out in the silence. It was quite deep, but had a soft tone to it.  
Raiden was about to answer when he heard the familiar beeping in his ear of his codec. He automatically cocked his heads slightly, but remembered where he was so didn't answer it. The woman must have sensed the movement. "You have nanomachines?" She asked, relieving the pressure slightly on his wrist. "Yes." Raiden answered bluntly.  
The woman paused for a moment, and then removed her foot. She stepped back, giving Raiden room to move. He paused for a minute himself, and then heaved himself up. He was a little dizzy, but he didn't worry about it. He straightened and retrieved his SOCOM from the floor. He left it in his hand, not putting it away, just in case.  
Raiden took his first proper look at the woman. She was taller than him, probably around the same size as Snake. Her hair was long and straight, tied back from her face in a ponytail. In her arms she held a Sniper Rifle. Raiden didn't want to risk her using it, as she looked like she knew what she was doing. She had a pretty face, not what Raiden expected at all. She was looking him in the eye, her head slightly cocked. She looked quite relaxed about the situation.  
The beeping in his ear started again. Raiden smiled slightly. The woman smiled back at him, as if allowing him to take the call. Raiden turned away from her and covered his ear so he could hear properly. "Why didn't you answer earlier?" Snakes annoyed voice floated across the airway. "I was..uh..busy." "Busy?" "Yeah, I ran into."  
Raiden was cut off by the familiar female voice. "Me."  
Snake paused for a while and then answered. "How did you get this frequency?" He asked calmly. Raiden was quite shocked at Snake's calm reaction. "Patched into 'his' codec call." 'His' referring to Raiden. "Who are you, anyway?" Raiden demanded, quite confused at the situation. "Shouldn't I be asking you? You're the one who snuck up on me from behind and rammed a gun in the back of my head." "I was.." Raiden was about to defend himself when Snake interrupted. "I'm Snake, he's Raiden." "Star." Star replied bluntly. "Star? Interesting codename." Snake commented. "It's my real name actually, not that it's really any of your business."  
Raiden liked Star's attitude. "What are you doing here?" Raiden asked. "Probably the same as you, if I'm right in thinking that Snake refers to Solid Snake." "It does." Snake replied sceptically. He had never liked being a hero or a legend. "So, disposing of the Metal Gear that's housed here." "There's a Metal Gear here??" Raiden didn't understand what was going on anymore. "Ok, so you aren't here because of that." "We're here for other reasons. What do you mean about Metal Gear?" Snake voice was still calm. "I got tipped about there being a Metal Gear stored here for emergency's by the Patriots..."  
The thought went through Raiden's head that it could have been the patriots themselves who tipped Star. ".I got sent the location, maps, photo's etcetera." "How do you know about the Patriots?" Raiden asked quickly. "I found a load of research on them."  
Raiden was about to pursue the subject when Snake interrupted him. "We've got reason to believe this is where the Patriots operate. We had no idea that there was another Metal Gear here." "Man, this is getting confusing.." Otacon's voice chipped in. "Who's that?" Star asked. "Friend of mine, Otacon." "Hey Star. Sorry, I was listening in. If you need my help, my frequency is 141.80" "Thanks Otacon." Star laughed. "So Raiden, it sounds like we've got a bit more then the Patriots to handle." Snake said, sounding exasperated.  
Raiden sighed and rubbed his wound. Star must have noticed the movement, as she commented: "Sorry about that." "No, it's alright." Raiden murmured. "So, sounds like we're joining forces here." Star addressed everyone on the airway. "You'll slow us down." Snake said, sounding slightly disappointed by his own words. "Either of you snipe?" Star said, seemingly changing the subject. "Kind of." Raiden muttered. "Well then, I can. I've got more info than you on the Metal Gear and I'm a sniper. I think you may just need my help." Stars argument sounded final.  
Snakes sigh was heard. "Fine. Where are you?" "We're in the filing room on the ground floor." Raiden said, providing the information for Snake. "Meet me at the Elevator. Snake out." "Right."  
  
Raiden ended the transmission and looked back at Star. She had returned to flicking through the discs in the plastic box, seeming uninterested in Raiden's presence. "What are you looking for?" Raiden asked, pulling some blonde hair out of the clotting blood on his forehead. "Anything relevant."  
Raiden nodded and checked his SOCOM over, making sure it was fully loaded. He wasn't sure how well Star could fight, so he thought it was best that he kept a check on his bullets.  
Star tossed the plastic container back on the computer table. It hit at an angle, making some of the disc's fall out. She strapped her sniper rifle to her back and picked out a Desert Eagle from her utility belt. She took the safety catch off and turned to Raiden. "Ready?" "You bet." Raiden grinned and walked out of the door, SOCOM forward.  
  
Snake boarded the small elevator from his floor cautiously; making sure no one was around when he went to push the button for the ground floor. He backed inside and pushed the tiny button with his right hand, while still aiming his SOCOM with his left.  
The doors closed with a quiet click. Snake relaxed slightly, still aware of his surroundings in case. He contemplated their newly formed alliance with Star. He was totally sure he could trust her, but he didn't know why. Snake absently brushed his hair away from his face as it had started to dry.  
The elevator started to slow, indicating he had nearly reached his destination. Snake aimed his SOCOM forward again. The elevator stopped with a light jolt. Steel doors clicked as they opened slowly. Snake was welcomed by the barrels of two .45's aimed at his head. He raised an eyebrow slightly and put his own SOCOM away. Star's Desert eagle was replaced first. Snake couldn't help but notice her sniper rifle strapped to her back. Raiden grinned before he lowered his weapon. "Thanks for the warm welcome." Snake muttered as he stepped out of the elevator.  
He looked at Star, who had turned to look out of the small portal shaped window that let in a small amount of natural light.  
Raiden spoke first. "What are we going to do about the card key?"  
Snake looked back at Raiden, frowning slightly. "Find another." "The commander offices are on the third floor. I vote for looking there." Star's voice rang into the air, even though she was facing away from them. "If the card key is important enough to slaughter that scientist, I doubt we'll find it on anybody who works here." Snake said.  
He shrugged slightly. Something caught his eye at the bottom of the corridor. Someone was leaning against the wall, seemingly watching the group's conversation. Snake's M4 practically leapt into his arms, prepared for battle. Star and Raiden noticed the movement and quickly aimed their guns down the hallway.  
The figure started walking towards them. As the person got closer, their features became visible. It was a man. He was tall, wearing a trench coat over camouflage gear. His face was hard and cold, but he was smiling, as if told a funny joke. His hair was shaved. "Solid Snake, I presume?" He asked, laughing at the same time. "And you are?" Snake asked gruffly.  
The man surveyed the group, stopping to look at Star. He stared at her, for what seemed like hours, and then looked back at Snake. "They call me 'The Screamer'. As that is what everyone does as I kill them." The Screamer looked proud at his name. Star snorted through her nose. "Enough chit-chat. Lets rumble."  
With his last words, The Screamer threw off his trench coat to reveal his weaponry. A huge machine gun was strapped to his chest. He untied the buckles holding it in place and stroked the barrel.  
Snake looked at Star then Raiden. He tried to form some sort of plan to keep the other two alive. As he looked at Raiden, he saw a door to a laboratory beside him. Looking at Star quickly, his theory was correct. They're was a lab on her side as well. As The Screamer lifted his gun, Snake threw himself at Star, making her lose her balance. The automatic doors of the lab opened in time, making the pair fall inside. Raiden caught on to the plan and threw himself into the lab closest to him. The doors clicked shut as the scream of bullets reached Snakes ears. Star crawled out from underneath him. "Ow." She said sarcastically.  
Snake was about to reply when the shrieking started again, this time hitting a wall nearby. "Any ideas?" Raiden's voice travelled over Snake's airway.  
Star answered for him. "Of course."  
She opened a pouch on her utility belt to reveal a grenade. She pulled the pin and walked over to the door. She saw Snake looking at her. "Just in case of an emergency."  
The door opened with its soft click. Star threw the grenade down the hallway and quickly retracted herself back into the room, avoiding another line of fire from the machine gun. Snake grabbed her arm, pulling her to the floor. The explosion shook the entire room, making several bookcases fall over and cupboard doors fly open. As the shockwave died down, Snake knelt, pushing a draw from a bookcase off of his lap. Star knelt herself, pushing back her red hair with her hands. "You alright Raiden?" Star asked, opening her codec channel.  
A slight groan was heard. "Next time, try telling me so I can brace myself, a huge hardback book just landed on my head."  
Star smiled slightly. Snake raised an eyebrow and got up from his knee's, retrieving his SOCOM and M-4 from under a pile of paperwork. He slung the M-4 over his shoulder. He walked briskly to the door and listened, not hearing anything from the other side. He ran through the door, SOCOM aimed at the last place they had seen The Screamer. The hallway was in a mess, the walls buckled and charred. Star and Raiden joined Snake out into the corridor. Silence spread across the air, so Snake walked forward stealthily. A small, steaming heap at the end of the corridor was all that remained of The Screamer. Snake lowered his gun and stood over the body. Raiden let out a small sigh. "Shame he couldn't think up something more original then 'The Screamer'." Star commented, lowering her Desert Eagle.  
Raiden grinned slightly at Stars sarcasm, and knelt down beside the body and inspected it. He leant forward cautiously. "He's dead Raiden." Star reminded him bluntly.  
Raiden grunted in annoyance and reached forward to remove something from a pocket. Pulling lightly, Raiden revealed a card key. Snake smiled to himself. "Saves us a search." "Obviously didn't think he'd die and let us get to it." Star chirped in. She took the card key out of Raiden's hand and inspected it. She ran her fingers over it, removing a layer of grime. "Don't think it was damaged."  
Snake nodded and turned from the body. He thought for a while, trying to come up with some sort of plan. He decided to call Otacon. "Hey Sna..." "What's on the Basement level?"  
Otacon sighed heavily. "Nice to talk to you Otacon! How you doing?" Otacon said sarcastically.  
Snake grunted, not in the mood for Otacon's sarcasm. "Just get on with it." "It's supposed to be for storage, but that is the entrance to the underground facilities." "Yay. More guards." Raiden grumbled. "Quit complaining kid, you wanted in." "I'm gonna leave before this argument gets to heated. Otacon out."  
Snake shook his head and turned to the other two. "We take the elevator down to the basement and hope for the best." "Great plan. Took you all that time to come up with." Star laughed and made her way towards the elevator. She pressed the call button with her index finger and stood back, gun raised just in case.  
Snake raised his own gun, not bothering to think of something witty to say back to Star. Raiden smirked in amusement and joined the others at the elevator. Snake nodded slightly and waited patiently for the click of the doors opening. The doors opened, and revealed the emptiness of the grey space inside. The group piled into the elevator. "Well, going down?" Star pressed the red basement button.  
The grey doors slid shut. Snake lowered his gun slightly to rest his arms. The basement would be crawling with people, so he guessed there would be large shootouts. Star seemed pretty good at taking care of herself, but Snake didn't know if she could handle an all-out battle.  
  
A man watched the group descend in the elevator. So far, everything was going according to plan, even the idiot calling himself 'The Screamer' had died as they hoped. Snake and the boy had joined up with the woman. They had found the card key. They were now going down to the basement levels. The man couldn't help but grin. He was looking forward to watching them all die painfully. The man licked his lips with his pointy tongue and looked at the charred carcase. It was too bad that The Screamer had died so easily. He would have preferred it if he had been mortally wounded and left, so that he, himself, could finish him off. The man turned, his long hair drifted behind him. He had much to report...  
  
The Elevator stopped with a jolt at the basement floor. The metal doors slid open slowly. Snake walked forward slowly, alert in case of an ambush. The elevator stopped at a metal balcony instead of the ground. The entire structure was steel. A small set of stairs led to another small balcony, and then to the ground. Raiden leaned over the edge of the guardrail and Snake moved to join him. The room was very narrow but long. Snake judged the distance between the bottom step and the door at the other end to be around 100 feet. The room was empty except for a large crate in the middle of the room. Snake snorted at the lack of imagination. "Talk about obvious." He muttered. "How many armed soldiers do you want to bet is behind that?" Raiden asked. "A lot. And they most likely have some backup as soon as all hell breaks loose."  
Snake put his SOCOM back in its holster and retrieved his M4 from his back. Looking at Raiden quickly Snake assessed his weaponry. "You got anything more powerful than that?" Snake nodded at the SOCOM in Raiden's hands. Raiden nodded and replaced his SOCOM with a large Beretta. "Where'd you get that?" "Found it in a lab."  
Snake turned to Star. She was aiming her Sniper Rifle out to the crate and assessing the decency of the area.  
Snake tilted his head slightly. "Any good?"  
Star lowered her gun and looked at Snake. "Perfect. How about I cover you two when you get down there?"  
Snake looked towards Raiden, who obviously wasn't to keen on the idea and seriously hinting with his eyebrows. Snake gave the situation a quick thought. "Sure. Just don't shoot us."  
Star smiled and returned to her position. Snake could tell she was a good sniper at her posture. She was standing for a start. Snake could only lie on his stomach and snipe as he wasn't strong enough to keep the gun raised and keep it still at the same time.  
Snake tapped Raiden on the shoulder and started down the stairs. "C'mon. Lets go."  
Raiden caught up with him at the end of the staircase. "Are you nuts? She could end up taking us out!" He hissed.  
Snake sighed and raised an eyebrow at Raiden. "Just trust me, kid." "Says he who doesn't trust anyone." Raiden muttered.  
  
Star watched her new comrades descend the small staircase. She lifted her sniper rifle again and watched them through the scope. They made it to the bottom before they started to walk wearily forward. Star trained her sight onto the large crate. There wasn't any sign of movement but Star rested her gloved finger on the trigger. Her hands were steady around the large gun. A flicker of movement made Star concentrate harder on the crate. She was more worried about Snake and Raiden then herself. There was nowhere to take cover down there so they were going to have to rely on luck.  
Movement again caught Star's attention. The enemy had become restless. An elbow became visible from the side of the crate. Star aimed and pulled the trigger. A shriek of pain indicated she had hit. Snake and Raiden ran forward as the guards did. Star didn't bother to count. Bullets flew through the air, sharper than a knife. Star aimed and took out a few with headshots. Snake met with the soldiers before Raiden and winded one with the barrel of his M4. Star finished off the soldier for him. The thud of the metal doors indicated backup had arrived. Star aimed at the door and took the first few out, slowing down the oncoming group. Raiden's heavy Beretta echoed in the sparse room. Bullet after bullet was shot, most just denting the walls. Star trained her sight on Raiden and shot at two guards near him. She did the same for Snake, alternating between the pair.  
One guard had managed to survive through the original onslaught and trained his gun in Star's direction. She saw him after he'd seen her. Star knew he'd released a bullet before she pulled her trigger. She saw him go down before an explosion of pain ripped through her right shoulder. She fell back, slamming against the wall behind her, leaving a sticky red mass on the wall. The sniper rifle fell from her grip. The pain continued and Star's vision began to blur. She blinked the fuzziness away and scrambled forward, grabbing her gun. Her arm started to numb but Star forced herself to grip the handle and keep steady. She needed to keep going or the other two were dead. Her sight flew all over the place until she lay rigid. She fired at several guards, only hitting their limbs but enough for either of the men to finish them off. Star kept going until she couldn't focus any longer. She let go off the rifle and felt her shoulder. It was damp and sticky, even through the material of her sneaking suit. A sudden silence filled the long room. The suddenness of it made Star wake up more. She reached for the bar of the railing above her and yanked herself up. Everything screamed with pain as she did so.  
Star blinked hard and forced herself to walk over to the small stairs. She managed to walk down a few before dizziness took over and she fell forward. Star tried to brace herself but she didn't hit the hard floor as she expected. She fell into a pair of strong arms. The impact made her focus a little to realise it was Snake who caught her.  
  
Snake had seen Star waver before she started to fall and had leapt up most of the stairs. He caught her before she hit the floor. He looked down at her through her hair and saw the dark mass on her right shoulder. He felt it lightly with his fingers. "You've been shot." He stated, his voice tinged with concern.  
Star grunted in half annoyance. She steadied herself against Snake with one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other.  
Raiden jogged up the metal stairs behind Snake and fiddled with his utility belt to get out a small first aid kit. He unravelled the bandages on the outside and found some gauze on the inside. "Is the bullet still inside?" He asked quickly, eyeing up a small pair of tweezers. "No."  
Star stopped rubbing her eyes and reached round the back of herself. She unzipped her sneaking suit as far down as she needed to and peeled it off her shoulder. Snake felt embarrassed suddenly but ignored it and examined her wound. It was a clean hole. It took some cloth off Raiden and cleaned it but the best he could, trying to be gentle. Raiden took over when Snake had finished and strapped some gauze onto the wound with tape and bandages. "Your blood clots quick." He mused, shoving the first aid kit back into his utility belt. Snake raised an eyebrow at the statement. Star had just been shot, but Raiden was going on about her blood clotting. "It's all the tranquillisers I use." Star said, zipping herself back up. She looked up again. "Thanks." She smiled half-heartedly at the pair, then looked at the floor.  
Snake didn't really know what to say, he ended up just saying, "Nice sniping," Star smiled a little at Snake before she looked again at the floor. Snake studied her wearily. "We'll stick here for a bit, give you some time to rest." He addressed Star as he looked around the long room. It seemed empty. It wasn't the most welcoming place to stay, as there were dead bodies everywhere but it was better then nothing.  
Star nodded slightly and lowered herself to the ground slowly. She rested her head on the bottom step and closed her eyes. Snake walked back up the stairs and retrieved her sniper rifle. His eyes rested on the red patch on the wall briefly. He placed it next to her as he came back down again. Raiden had already sat down on the floor so Snake moved to join him. The floor was hard and uncomfortable but no one complained.  
Snake reloaded his M-4 before he placed it on the floor next to his arm. He wasn't going to take any chances. A beeping in his ear signified that he was receiving a codec call. Cocking his head slightly, Snake answered the transmission. "Yeah?" "Hey Snake. I was patching into Star's nanomachines and her heart rate just went all over the place. Is she okay?" Otacon's voice was filled with concern. "She got shot but she's okay."  
Otacon sighed heavily. "As long as she's okay then."  
Snake ended the transmission and looked over at Star. She looked like she was asleep. "You like her, don't you?"  
Snake looked at Raiden, an eyebrow raised slightly. "Don't you then?" He snapped, avoiding the question.  
Raiden laughed lightly and brushed his hair out of the way. "Not in the same way you do."  
Snake wasn't in the mood to hold a conversation, let alone about Star with Raiden. "It's obvious by the way you look at her." "Shut up, Raiden." "She's out of your league."  
Snake looked at Raiden with an expression of annoyance. "How you figure that one out kid?" "For a start, you're about twice her age. She must be in her late twenties and how old are you? About 40?" "39 actually." "I said 'about'."  
Snake glared at Raiden. His annoyance was growing. "And you're a wanted criminal. I don't think women like that sort of guy."  
Snake snorted at Raiden's judgement. Raiden was going by what Rose did and thought. "You kill people for a living." "Raiden, just shut up." "You live in hiding." "Raiden, do you know what the word's 'Shut up' actually mean?"  
Raiden laughed again. Snake was getting tempted to hit him. "You don't have interests or hobbies..." "Raiden, I'm warning you.." "You hang around with Otacon. No offence to Otacon or anything.." "You say anything else, I'm going to punch you." "You smoke like a chimney and let's face it, you're to much of a flirt to."  
Raiden didn't get to finish the sentence as Snake's fist connected with his jaw. Raiden fell back with the force of the blow. He groaned as his back hit the floor. Snake's temper calmed down a little. "Ow." Raiden complained, rubbing his jaw. "Don't you two ever shut up?" Star's voice quietened Snake and Raiden. Snake felt a little guilty. "Some people are trying to sleep here." Star didn't open her eyes as she spoke. "Sorry." Snake muttered, hoping beyond anything that she had been asleep through the conversation.  
Raiden didn't say anything.  
  
Star opened her eyes slowly and rolled onto her side. Her shoulder had dulled down to a low throbbing so she thought she was fit enough to carry on. She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, trying to rub the fuzz away. When her vision cleared to her satisfaction, she reached over to her rifle and picked it up by the barrel. "You sure you're alright to go on?" Snake asked her, his voice tinted with concern.  
Star smiled to herself. She had heard the whole of Raiden and Snakes discussion and had found it amusing. The only reason she intervened when she did was because she was worried about Raiden's welfare. "I'll live."  
Star dragged herself off the floor slowly. She strapped her rifle to her back carefully, avoiding contact with her shoulder. Star looked over to Raiden, who was taking an M-4 off a dead guard. He turned and saw her watching him. "Want one?" He asked.  
Star looked at a soldier slumped at her feet. She bent down and picked up the sleek gun. It was fully loaded. Star raised an eyebrow and looked at the face, which was partially covered with an arm. A small, clean wound had a single line of blood dribbling from it. Star's own shot.  
She blinked slowly and reached for a couple of spare magazines. "Wonder what niceties we've got in store for us behind that door." Raiden nodded at the metal door.  
Snake grunted. Picking up his own M-4 off the ground, he walked slowly towards the door.  
  
Snake expected the door to open automatically but it didn't. He frowned and looked at the tiny slit beside the door. Reaching for a pouch on his utility belt, Snake revealed the card key they had found on The Screamers body. He swiped it through the slit and waited. The computer panel beeped and a tinny voice stated bluntly: "Access allowed."  
Snake walked forward and peered around the door. A bright light shone down from the far end. Snakes shadow was cast on the wall behind him. "Clear."  
Star and Raiden walked slowly out of the door and aimed their guns forward. Star raised an arm to shield her eyes. Snake scrunched his eyes together, trying to block out the worst of the light, and moved forward. The corridor branched to the left and opened out into a huge room. Snake walked forward slowly and stopped as his feet made the steel floor rattle. They were now on a small walkway above a huge room. Snake's eye's drifted to the huge machine encased in the room. "Metal Gear." He snarled.  
Raiden swore and walked to the silver safety railing. "How big is this thing?" He muttered.  
Snake shook his head. He couldn't believe it. The new Metal Gear was twice the size of Ray and Rex put together. Its limbs housed even more weapons and systems unidentifiable. Writing up the left arm caught Snake's attention. "What's that say?" He pointed, not being able to make the words out. "Metal Gear Beta, version 1.2, property of Armstech DARPA corporations." Star read, leaning forward on the railing. "Great. How are Armstech and DARPA involved?" Raiden asked. "Probably not. They're just names. Probably outside work." Snake shook his head and sighed. "Outside? Like Liquid?" Star asked, looking directly at Snake. "How do you know about him?" Snake demanded, almost immediately regretting his question.  
Star ran her fingers through her hair. "Please Snake, give me a little credit."  
Snake didn't reply. He turned back to Metal Gear and sighed, biting the inside of his lip. Looking down, he could make out several walkways leading around the main body. The bright lighting of the room made something shimmer right at the bottom. "Looks like there's water down there." "You reckon that's to the sea?" Raiden asked. "Could be. Arsenal was amphibian."  
Star looked over to the opposite side of the room. "Looks like a control booth over there." She pointed, making Snake look.  
A small-boxed shape room sat suspended from the ceiling opposite them. "One way to find out." Raiden turned and started to walk along the small walkway.  
Snake started to follow when he heard something. "Raiden! Stop!"  
Raiden stopped walking and looked at Snake, a little bewildered. The noise continued. It sounded like footsteps.Snake was about to yell at Star and Raiden when the door they had passed through opened. Six armed guards ran through and aimed at the group. Snake was about to pull the trigger on his M-4 when a door at the other end of the walkway opened, revealing even more guards. They jogged quickly up to them and aimed their guns. Snake swore inwardly.  
The head of the second group raised his M-4 higher. "Put your weapons on the ground, and your hands on your head. Now!"  
Star looked over the side slowly. "Lets hope the water down there is deep."  
Snake knew what Star was thinking. He was about to protest, when Star quickly placed her hand on the railing and jumped over. The guards were about to fire so Snake and Raiden quickly jumped over themselves.  
Snake hoped that the water was deep. They would have been dead anyway if they hadn't jumped. Snake looked down and saw the dark blue of the water. He heard a huge splash before he hit the water himself. The impact hurt a little but snake wasn't thinking about it. He kicked his legs out under him and swam for the surface. He broke it and took a huge breath. He brushed back his wet hair and looked around. Star smiled slightly at him when he caught sight of her. "Have you got a death wish?" He complained at her, swimming slowly over to her. "No more then you." She said, scraping back her sodden hair. The water around her started to turn a dark red. Snake looked at her shoulder. "Looks like you've just broken the scab on your shoulder." Star looked at her own shoulder. "Thought it hurt a lot." She mused. 


End file.
